Chapter 13: Fu Chiyu Covered Her Eyes

“…”

Xia Zhicha felt a guilty panic, like she’d just been caught doing something wrong. She reached out to take her phone back. “I didn’t mean to look at that…”

“Hmm?” Fu Chiyu calmly raised the phone out of her reach, tilting his chin slightly as he asked slowly, “So you just happened to click on gossip about me?”

Xia Zhicha stretched up again to grab it, but accidentally brushed his wrist.

She recoiled like she’d been shocked and mumbled awkwardly, “…Jiang Lili saw it while scrolling the forum just now, so I just looked a little.”

“And then you came to pick up the food and decided to open it up again?” Fu Chiyu clearly didn’t buy her “just happened” excuse. His long eyes slanted with a half-glance.

But still, he lowered his hand and returned the phone to her, lightly tapping the screen with his index finger. “You’re that curious about me?”

“…”

Xia Zhicha paused, then nodded slightly—half honest, half joking. “I’m a little curious about… your love life.”

Fu Chiyu’s wrist paused. He let out a low chuckle and said nothing more.

It was hard to tell whether he didn’t care or just didn’t want to talk about it.

After spending some time with him, Xia Zhicha had started to get a sense of how Fu Chiyu treated relationships.

He always seemed detached, like he was watching from the sidelines with a kind of weary indifference. There was a cold, emotionless quality that came from deep within—even when he smiled, there wasn’t any warmth in his eyes.

She could better understand now why people always said he didn’t have a heart.

Just then, a server called Xia Zhicha again, apologizing profusely as they handed over a side dish that had been missed earlier. Before she could reach for it, Fu Chiyu shoved the drinks he was holding into her arms and picked up the tray himself.

The meal portions for four people looked heavy, but he carried it with ease. Xia Zhicha could only see the faintly bulging veins on the back of his hand.

The drink in her arms was straight from the fridge, covered in condensation. A cold drop suddenly fell onto her bare arm, and she shivered from the chill.

Walking beside Fu Chiyu, she looked down and wiped the bottle with her palm.

“Xia Zhicha.”

Fu Chiyu suddenly called her name.

Xia Zhicha looked up in surprise. “Ah?”

“I’m not thinking about dating anyone right now.”

Fu Chiyu paused, his voice steady. “So stop getting involved in those dumb betting games. It’s meaningless.”

…Was he explaining himself?

Xia Zhicha’s lashes fluttered. She gave a soft “okay,” and the tension at the corners of her mouth eased slightly.

In that moment, her heart felt like it had just taken a deep breath—like a heavy stone had finally dropped, sending ripples of quiet relief.

It felt like their friendship might be able to last a little longer.

---

After lunch, no one wanted to jump into anything too intense right away. Jiang Lili gave up on riding the giant pendulum for now and, guided by the map, led them to a haunted house.

The amusement park had several haunted houses. This one was Western-style, themed like a zombie hospital.

Jiang Lili dragged Gao Yuyang inside first.

Xia Zhicha was about to follow when she was pulled back by the ribbon tied at her waist—Fu Chiyu had grabbed it.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, puzzled.

Fu Chiyu chuckled. “Let’s give those two some space.”

Xia Zhicha froze for a second, then immediately understood.

Two people in a “more than friends, not quite lovers” stage, walking into a haunted house together… It was obvious what that meant.

So the two of them waited a moment at the entrance before going in.

The haunted house wasn’t large. As soon as they stepped in, the black curtain behind them fell, and darkness swallowed the room.

Xia Zhicha had to pause a bit to adjust before she could barely make out the path ahead.

“I’ll walk in front,” Fu Chiyu said flatly, like he was just out for a stroll. “If you’re scared, hold onto my clothes.”

Xia Zhicha agreed softly. She hesitated, then heard Jiang Lili scream from somewhere up ahead.

The space was somewhat enclosed, and even though the other pair had gone on ahead, the screams still echoed back.

Xia Zhicha wavered, then reached out and lightly pinched the edge of Fu Chiyu’s shirt.

Just a little.

She wasn’t afraid of the dark—but she was afraid of sudden jump scares.

They walked forward in the dim corridor.

The first part of the path was clearly meant for people to adapt to the atmosphere—not too scary. Dim lights flickered now and then, illuminating eerie skeleton props.

Whenever she bumped into one, Xia Zhicha would instinctively tense her fingers, then gradually relax again.

Fu Chiyu looked back through the gloom and saw her tightly furrowed brows—clearly anxious.

He slowed down a little.

A soft wind stirred. At the next corner, a door creaked open.

Jiang Lili screamed again somewhere up ahead.

The tension was rising.

“Scared?” Fu Chiyu suddenly asked.

Xia Zhicha jumped at his unexpected voice. “I’m okay,” she replied softly.

She wasn’t that easily frightened—her body just reacted faster than her brain sometimes.

“Alright.” Fu Chiyu seemed reassured and kept walking.

As they passed the door, Xia Zhicha, fearing a scare, closed her eyes and let the small grip she had on his shirt guide her forward.

Surprisingly, nothing happened.

Then she heard Fu Chiyu’s voice: “We’re past it.”

She opened her eyes. The open door was already behind them.

Xia Zhicha glanced back.

The doorway was pitch-black, eerily empty.

…Didn’t seem that scary, actually.

She tried to comfort herself, letting her eyes fall.

But the moment she looked up again—

A pale, ghastly head suddenly poked out of the doorway!

Its hollow black eyes locked onto hers. A grotesque red grin stretched across its face, like something out of a horror movie.

“…!”

Xia Zhicha’s pupils shrank. Caught completely off guard, she stumbled backward in fright—and crashed right into Fu Chiyu’s chest.

The next second—

A cool hand covered her eyes, plunging her world into total darkness.

—Fu Chiyu had raised his hand to shield her vision.

His hand was large enough to cover her entire view.

“If you’re scared, don’t look.”

His deep voice came from above her head, calm and soothing.

In that moment—

It felt like salvation. As if the whole world had melted into only Fu Chiyu’s voice.

Xia Zhicha hadn’t yet recovered from the sudden fright. Her heart pounded. She gave a soft “mm” through her nose.

Very obedient.

Her face was small, and Fu Chiyu’s palm nearly covered most of it.

Her eyelashes were long.

They brushed lightly against his palm, tickling slightly as she trembled—not from cold, but fear—and didn’t make a sound.

Too well-behaved, almost.

The dim lighting blurred her outline. Fu Chiyu shifted his gaze away, casually lowering his hand.

The tingling sensation lingered in his palm. His long fingers curled slightly at his side, unconsciously.

“It’s over now.”

At his words, Xia Zhicha finally dared to open her eyes.

Before she could fully adjust to the darkness again, she felt her wrist suddenly grasped by a large hand.

“From here on—”

Fu Chiyu gave a light tug, pulling her forward. His lazy voice stretched out slightly, but carried a tone that allowed no argument:

“Run with me.”